Today’s teen brain is literally a different brain than teachers taught 10 years ago, Rosen says.

And it may be time for schools to adapt.

He thinks banning cell phones in class is the wrong approach.

“From the point of view of what’s going on in those kids’ brains, it’s a terrible idea,” Rosen says. “Absolutely terrible.”

He says just knowing that they can check their phones in class will calm their brains enough to keep them focused on a lesson until the next cell phone break.

“It’s a stimulus to your brain that says, ‘You don’t have to think about me, what you’re missing out on. All you have to do is listen and pay attention for 15 minutes and you’ll get to check in.”

His experiments show teens and young adults start losing focus after 10 or 20 minutes.

It’s not proven whether these one minute breaks have a direct affect on student learning, but Rosen says any little break resets the brain’s ability to focus.

A Generation Apart

The people making school rules don’t always get it. Most are Generation X or Baby Boomers. They didn’t grow up with the same technology.

Take Shawn Cerra. He’s been principal at JP Taravela High School in Coral Springs for the past 10 years.

“I can’t necessarily relate because none of this stuff was really around when I was in high school,” he says.

“I would hope that kids can dedicate six hours of total time to their education.”

High school students Marlene Nazario and Katerina Sanchez say it would be “pretty cool” if teachers let them text in class.

Sarah Gonzalez / StateImpact Florida

StateImpact Floirda asked students to place their phone on the desk if it was within reach. Each student in the classroom pulled their cell phones out of their pockets, and couldn't resist the urge to check for any missed messages.